Last week, the Maine Legislature voted to approve a proposal from Governor Mills to provide heating assistance to Mainers amid inflation and rising energy costs. Both chambers of the legislature approved the Emergency Winter Energy Relief measure after a special legislative committee voted unanimously to move the bill forward.
“This measure – while not perfect to everyone, which is often the case in government – is a compromise that reflects concessions and consensus from Democrats and Republicans that will deliver much-needed aid to Maine people in the depths of winter,” said Governor Mills in a recent statement.
The plan will provide:
— $450 checks to single filing Mainers making less than $100,000
— $900 checks to Mainers filing jointly and making under $200,000
—$21 million to bolster the Emergency Housing Relief Fund
— $10 million to Maine Community Action Partnerships to help deliver emergency fuel assistance
— $40 million to supplement the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) and emergency housing.
The relief checks are expected to go out to more than 880,000 Mainers by the end of January, with the last of them arriving by the end of winter. We applaud Governor Mills and the Maine Legislature for prioritizing this proposal and working to help Mainers stay warm this winter.
Learn more about the bipartisan heating relief bill here.